Holdsworth takes last lap win as Courtney takes title

Lee Holdsworth has taken victory in the final round of 2010 on the final lap as Stone Brothers’ Shane van Gisbergen runs out of fuel, whilst James Courtney wins his first championship.

In a less manic race than Saturday, helped by the absence of any rain, Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Lee Holdsworth has claimed only his second career V8 Supercars victory at Homebush, whilst a 14th place for James Courtney and a failed strategy gamble for Jamie Whincup gives Courtney his first championship title.

Going into the race, Whincup’s chances were slim with a 113 point deficit to Courtney, meaning nothing less than a top four result was required. Jamie qualified on the front row, but had no answer for Holdsworth during the race, with the GRM driver snatching pole and staying ahead in the early stages.

A strategy gamble for Whincup, staying out after the second safety car period, deployed to remove stricken tyre bundles from the track to ensure he would make the two stop fuel window failed to pay off, and the reigning champion only finished fifth.

Courtney had drama early on, starting 12th mired in the mid-field, the Jim Beam Racing driver had his first pit-stop on lap 22, but the team were unable to change the right-rear tyre on his Ford Falcon FG, losing him track position with the delay.

A safety car seven laps later (the first to move tyre bundles) helped Courtney out however, and he was able to stop again to get his tyre changed without losing more positions, and put himself in the optimal scenario to just stop one more time for fuel.

Shane van Gisbergen came ever so close to taking his first win on a daring fuel strategy, pitting on lap 44 during the second safety car period, and then trying to conserve fuel to complete the last 30 laps.

A safety car on lap 58 to recover SBR team-mate Tim Slade’s Falcon which had been taken out by Russell Ingall helped van Gisbergen’s chances. Race 25 winner Jonathon Webb also followed on the same strategy, with the two Ford drivers finding themselves first and second on the restart ahead of Holdsworth.

At the final green flag, Shane van Gisbergen held on ahead of Holdsworth, who was quick to dispense of Webb, for 12 laps. The New Zealander looked all set to spring another first time winner at Sydney, but on the final lap the Falcon spluttered allowing Holdsworth through as well as Ford Performance Racing’s Steven Richards, in his final race for the team.

The strategy still paid off for van Gisbergen, as he just managed to cross the line and claim the final spot on the podium from a fast closing Steven Johnson.

With Whincup finishing fifth and Courtney 14th, Courtney takes his first V8 Supercars drivers’ championship by 65 points from the two-time champion, and it is also Dick Johnson Racing’s first drivers title since John Bowe in 1995.

The series now waits to see where Courtney will take the No.1 to next season.